Ron Paul 'Too Extreme' for Republican Jewish Coalition (ContributorNetwork)

When the Republican Jewish Coalition hosts its Republican Presidential Candidates' Forum in Washington on Wednesday, it will be without Texas Rep, Ron Paul. The coalition cited the congressman's "extreme views" as reason for his exclusion, according to the Huffington Post.

What is the Republican Jewish Coalition?

The coalition describes its mission as fostering and enhancing ties between Republican decision makers and the American Jewish community. It seeks to not only educate Republican Party leaders on the concerns of American Jews, particularly concerning the state of Israel, but also promulgate Republican ideas among the Jewish community. It also advocates for energy independence and smaller government. It boasts of 40 chapters across the country.

What is the Republican Presidential Candidates' Forum?

The forum will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington. It will feature speeches by Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, Rick Perry and Herman Cain. There will be a luncheon and a keynote speaker as well.

What is the beef the Republican Jewish Coalition has with Ron Paul?

Paul has made a number of positions that have proven off putting to people, particularly American Jews. Paul has downplayed the implications of Iran gaining a nuclear weapon to the point of drawing a moral equivalency between that prospect and Israel having nuclear weapons. He has advocated ending foreign aid to Israel and has criticized military aid to Israel. Paul has also suggested the U.S. was at fault for the 9/11 attacks and that if America should withdraw its forces from the Middle East, terrorist groups such as Al Qaida would leave it alone.

Commentary Magazine compared Paul's views on Israel in particular and foreign policy in general to those of the "America First" isolationists during the 1930s and 1940s who admired Nazi Germany and were deaf to the fate of American Jews. Paul is like those who restrained America's reaction to the Nazi Holocaust, in its view.

How have Paul's supporters reacted to the exclusion?

The Daily Paul, a pro-Paul website, suggests the exclusion is a plot to draw out an angry response from the candidate so it could be used against him. While maintaining Paul is really pro-Israel, the site accuses the Republican Jewish Coalition of playing the anti-Semitic card. The post expresses particular ire that Paul was compared to Barack Obama by the coalition, not exactly a compliment in Republican circles.

Texas resident Mark Whittington writes about state issues for the Yahoo! Contributor Network.

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Extreme Positions, Low Polls Make Bachmann Unelectable (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | In a master stroke of media savvy, Michele Bachmann announced her intention to seek the Republican nomination during Monday's GOP debate in New Hampshire. Appearing polished and poised, Bachmann certainly looked the part. Though her war chest is sizable, she'll have plenty of stumbling blocks to overcome, both with voters and within her own party.

Bachmann's advantages as a candidate

Bachmann is polished, professional and attractive

Bachmann's looks will be an asset on the campaign trail. She is pretty, poised and intelligently articulate in a way that Sarah Palin isn't. While Bachmann may be controversial when she speaks, her look is unquestionably presidential.

Bachmann has strong backing in the Tea Party and Religious Right

Bachmann's small government and anti-abortion positions have made her the darling of both the Tea Party and the religious right. Her supporters are vocal and willing to open their checkbooks for her. Despite restrictions on non-profits endorsing candidates, Bachmann's name will be spoken from church pulpits across the nation.

Bachmann has a sizable war chest and the ability to get more

The Center for Responsive Politics reports that Bachmann's 2009-2010 campaign raised $13.5 million, with the vast majority coming from individual donors. While that sum is impressive, the congresswoman will need every penny to go head-to-head with frontrunner Mitt Romney, who brought in $107 million during his 2008 campaign.

Bachmann's disadvantages as a candidate

Bachmann comes in near the bottom in most polls

A Gallup poll Monday showed that only 5 percent of Republicans would choose Bachmann as their preferred candidate. Bachmann trailed every known candidate except Newt Gingrich. While Bachmann's debate performance will boost those numbers, she has a long way to go to close on Romney's 24 percent. Even worse, a Jan. 20 poll by Public Policy Polling showed Bachmann losing to Obama 51-33.

That's bad news for Bachmann, since Gallup also reports that the most important issue in choosing a candidate for 56 percent of conservative Republicans is the ability to beat Obama. The only poll Bachmann has ever won was an April survey of evangelical and conservative Christians at Liberty University, according to CNN.

Bachmann can't keep staff

Like Newt Gingrich, Bachmann has been plagued by high staff turnover. The Daily Caller reports that Bachmann lost her legislative chief of staff and her highly successful campaign finance director just before Monday's debate. USA Today reports she has churned through six chiefs of staff since taking office in 2007. If Bachmann is to have any chance at the nomination, she'll need to solve her staffing issues.

Bachmann's positions are too extreme

The biggest drawback for Bachmann's candidacy is a history of unelectable policy positions. Her version of small government means eliminating Medicare and "weaning people off" Social Security, according to The Minnesota Independent: ideas that won't go over well with seniors or mainstream Republicans. Other agencies on the chopping block include the departments of Education, Energy and Commerce, as reported in the Des Moines Register.

The front page of Bachmann's political action committee, MichelePAC, features a prominent link to a petition urging legislators to push the government into default by refusing to lift the debt ceiling, a move with disastrous consequences, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke told Reuters.

Bachmann's stringent anti-abortion views may not allow exceptions for rape or incest, another unpopular extreme. CBS News reports that Bachmann supported Republican-introduced legislation limiting Medicaid funding for abortions except in cases of "forcible" rape, a definition that would have excluded cases of incest, statutory rape or any case where there was insufficient force (the word "forcible" has since been dropped). Bachmann also favors mandatory teaching of intelligent design in public schools, reports Politico.

The culmination of these views impairs Bachmann's chances not only for election should she receive the nomination, but also her chances of winning the nomination at all. Even as a running mate, her willingness to state controversial views in provocative language cannot be anything more than a distraction.

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